Diseases are increasingly recognized as threats to endangered populations of wildlife. With this project, we assessed the exposure of introduced and endemic carnivores to common viral and parasitic pathogens in two national parks of Madagascar (Kirindy Mitea National Park and Ankarafantsika National Park) and their neighboring villages. Furthermore, we identified risk factors which may influence the exposure of Fosa (Cryptoprocta ferox) to certain viruses and parasites. Our data provide a basis upon which to evaluate and manage risks of pathogen transmission between species.

Part of this project was presented as a poster at the Wildlife Disease Association Annual Conference (2016). A pdf copy of the poster is available here.

This project aimed at evaluating the health of free ranging Verreaux’s sifaka (Propithecus verreauxi), an endangered lemur species, living in the Kirindy Mitea National Park in Southwest Madagascar. Establishing reference physiologic parameters can contribute to the assessment of population risks and will help monitor the disease threats facing these endangered animals. For this project we evaluated the health of more than 30 individual sifaka which will provide a basis for comparison with other populations of verreaux’s sifaka in the wild.

Giardia and Cryptosporidium are two parasites that are prevalent in humans and domestic animals. When they infect lemurs, they may cause serious diseases and even death. We wanted to see whether wild lemurs in the Ranomafana National Park were infected with either or both of these potentially zoonotic parasites.

With this project we were trying to identify the different parasites that infect lemurs in captivity and quantify the parasite load throughout the year. Are there differences between two zoological parks, are there differences between the dry and the rainy season?

With this project, we were trying to determine the baseline values of various physiological parameters in white-fronted brown lemurs and compare them between animals living in four different sites, protected areas of Madagascar. What are the “normal” blood glucose value, white blood cell counts, serum protein concentration of white fronted brown lemurs in the wild? Are they exposed to human and domestic animal diseases? What are their parasite load?